


Harvest Thanksgiving

by Small_Hobbit



Series: The Unexpected Family [8]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Kid Fic, M/M, harvest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-29
Updated: 2013-09-29
Packaged: 2017-12-27 23:56:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/985160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part of The Unexpected Family Series.  Lucy, aged almost 6, has come home with a strange message from school, which concerns something she and William will be doing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Harvest Thanksgiving

**Author's Note:**

> written for notluvulongtime

“We have to take cigarettes and beer to school on Friday” Lucy announced at the dinner table one evening.

Sherlock’s head shot up and Greg, who was draining the vegetables, nearly dropped the saucepan in surprise.

“What?”

“That’s what Miss Kinsley told us today.”

“Repeat exactly what Miss Kinsley said,” Sherlock said.

“We are to bring packets and cans to school for those who do not have as much as we do; something suitable for homeless people and others in need.  So, packets of cigarettes and cans of beer, ‘cos that’s the sort of thing that Papa’s homeless network like.”

“I don’t think that was quite what Miss Kinsley had in mind,” Greg remarked.

“And my class is doing a play, which you can come and watch,” William added.  “I’m not in it.”

Since William seemed quite happy that he wasn’t involved in the play Greg didn’t pursue the matter, although he made a mental note to check that everything was alright with his son’s teacher.  And once they had eaten he hunted through the children’s school bags to find the note that invited parents to attend the presentation on Friday and listed the items that the school was collecting (which did not include beer and cigarettes).

***

Friday morning Greg and Sherlock joined the other proud parents at the school.  Lucy’s class sang a couple of songs, the children from the oldest infant class read some poems they had written and then it was the turn of the youngest class.

The children all took their places on the stage, directed by their teacher, who then took a chair and placed it in one corner.  The teacher pointed at William, who was conspicuous by being the only child in uniform, the others all wearing various costumes, and he obediently sat on the chair.  There were a few gasps from some of the parents at the way the small boy was being treated.

Greg was horrified; but Sherlock, aware that his son was showing no signs of unhappiness, took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

The other children performed a simple harvest story showing grain growing in fields and apples growing on trees.  At the end they all bowed and some of them waved to their parents.  William stayed where he had been told to sit.

Their teacher came to join them.  “The whole class has enjoyed performing our play for you.  Even William, who is going to come and tell us which part he was playing.”

William hopped off his chair and came to join the rest of the class.

“I was representing the children who are unable to join in, like the children who are too hungry to learn their lines.”

His teacher continued.  “There are many reasons why children cannot take part in school activities.  One of them, as William has told us, is because they are hungry.  The food we have collected today will be going to an organisation that supports families in need in our city.  We are grateful to William for reminding us about them.”

William took his bow and everyone applauded.  Greg rubbed his hand across his eyes to wipe away a tear and then accepted the handkerchief then Sherlock seemed to have needed as well.


End file.
